How to Do a Back Handspring
The back handspring is a basic building block for many gymnastic routines. Here's how to perfect yours!
Steps
-
Start in a standing position with your feet together, your knees together, and your arms by your ears. Put your chin down.
Starting position -
Swing your arms down (forward) as you bend your knees as you begin to lean backwards. If you were to stop the trick at this point, you should be falling backwards.
Pushing off -
Swing your arms above your head as you extend off the floor with a strong push from your legs and feet.
Pushing back -
Let your legs drive you upward and backward. Point your toes and extend through your ankles. Make sure you keep your head back between your arms while you start to reach for the floor. Start to look for a landing spot on the mat.
Arching back -
Keep your body arched as your hands touch the floor or the mat, with your legs and lower body still following. Keep your hands either straight forward or turned in slightly. Spread your fingers a little, keep your feet together, and don't let your knees bend.
Reaching the floor -
Swing your legs and feet over and snap them down firmly toward the floor. Keep your upper body straight. Do not lock your knees at this point or you will damage them.
Coming down -
Land with your legs slightly bent and swing your arms out straight in front of you.
Finishing position
Tips
- Locate a reputable gymnastics school and find one that has been recommended to you by other students. Allow them to teach you how to do this. A trained coach is best because they know all the tricks and will show you how to do it right the first time.
- Add power to your back handspring by getting a running head start and doing a round-off first.
- Keep your arms locked straight to prevent falling on your head.
- When first learning, you can practice landing on your stomach on a mat first, instead of swinging your feet back to land upright. You can also try practicing by placing a pillow or a mattress behind you until you are ready, or practice your backwards bridges until you get comfortable trying the back handspring.
- You may want to learn how to do a back walkover first, as it is like a back handspring in slow motion. This requires a good amount of flexibility, but if you can do a back walkover then you should have little trouble doing a back handspring.
- A good back handspring should cover a distance of about 6 - 8 feet (depending on your height). If you are landing near where you started, you are not leaning back far enough.
